The Grand Scheme: A Steven Universe Story
by Aboard the Cicero
Summary: Does not contain Steven Universe characters. The Second Gem War has come to the Milky Way. Violent battles are happening all across the galaxy. In the midst of all the chaos, four Gem factions are determined to survive in the harsh environment of Steven Universe's home galaxy. Who will survive? Read to find out, skrubs.


**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hello there! My name is Aboard the Cicero, as you may have guessed, and this is my first story, so all criticisms are welcome. Please, sit down and take the time to review my story (so far). It will only take a few minutes, unless you're the kind of person who likes to throw up walls of text on a regular basis.

But enough talk. Let's get to the story.

(By the way, this tale is set after The Return/Jailbreak)

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In the atmosphere above Planet Earth, suspended in perpetual orbit, floated a long, black monolith. Humans had speculated that it served as an alien surveillance device-in truth, they were right. The edifice functioned as a listening tower and staging point for the Gem faction known as the Triumvirate, named after their seemingly omnipotent rulers. The Triumvirate was locked in a fierce struggle with another Gem faction, so every piece of intelligence was key.

Inside the structure, the telltale sound of a warp pad being activated resonated throughout the hollow chambers. In the center of the Orbital Junction, as the Triumvirate called it, a tall, black-clad figure stepped off of the pad. He was Arsenic, the second member of the Triumvirate. What he was doing in the Junction was privy to only a select few, all in secure bunkers no less than two light-years away from each other. Arsenic wore black robes, a black hood, black boots, and black gloves. The only non-black item he was wearing was his white mask with a long, pointed beak near the mouth. In the eye sockets burned bright blue flames.

Arsenic walked away from the warp pad, admiring the cutting-edge technology put to work in the Orbital Junction. In comparison, the warp pad was almost primitive. Striding briskly toward the control bridge, he couldn't help but wonder just what was happening down on Earth. He had heard what the Yellow Diamond task force had done, sending an intelligence officer, a goon, and a prisoner of war aboard a hand-shaped ship in order to seize a hybrid and a splinter faction. For once, Arsenic felt sympathy for the enemy. After all, hybrids were few and far between on Homeworld or any other Gem-controlled planet. Plus, the hybrid supposedly had half of Rose Quartz-the Gem who had led a rebellion and opposed Queen Diamond, leading to a war that caused tens of thousands of needless deaths. It made sense that the Diamond Authority would want to capture the son of a sworn enemy...

Arsenic stepped through the automatic steel door that led to the control bridge. The bridge was a hive of activity, with at least fifty Gems commanding the Orbital Junction. Some were at holographic control panels typing in commands to the console, while others were sitting in chairs on their ten-minute lunch break-that is, if they were able to tolerate eating. However, Arsenic was not here to watch his technicians at work. "Where is Cryolite?" he asked. Almost instantly, a white Gem appeared dressed in winter attire. She was almost completely covered in insulated clothes, so that whenever she spoke, her voice wad muffled. "Present, sir." she said quietly. "Prepare to undock the Magister," Arsenic snapped. "Make it quick, too." After he spoke the phrase, Arsenic disappeared to board his flagship and personal transport. The Magister was armed to the teeth with the latest and most destructive weaponry, and was warp- and jump-capable. As he and Cryolite boarded the ship, the Magister was cleared for takeoff. The massive hangar doors were opened, revealing space and Earth's only satellite, the Moon. Arsenic sat down in the ship's bridge, leaning back comfortably in the synth-leather chair. As he did so, the tall Gem pressed a few buttons and the Magister undocked from the Orbital Junction faster than greased lightning.

Once the ship was out, Arsenic wasted no time setting a course for the Delmarva Peninsula, the home of the splinter faction and, more importantly, the hybrid. The Magister's sleek, streamlined body entered Warp Phase One and initiated planetary warp algorithms whose names were nearly impossible to pronounce. The ship faced the human state of Delaware and warped into Earth's atmosphere, causing a shock-wave felt for miles around. Glass broke, objects fell from shelves, and humans felt discomfort in their auditory receptors.

"This is only a retrieval mission," Arsenic called to his gunnery team.

"So try not to blow anything up."

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**A/N: What did you think? I know it was a little on the short side, but a chapter is a chapter, right, folks? Again, please take the time to write a review. I'd love to hear what I did right but also what I need to improve on. I will work on continuing the story ASAP. Until then, farewell!  
**-Aboard the Cicero


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